Kiosks give Opal card users option to travel 'anonymously'

Jacob Saulwick and Ben Grubb

Public transport users in Sydney will not be able to buy Opal cards from permanent ticket windows at train stations.

The state government confirmed the restriction on future Opal card sales as it announced passengers who wanted to travel via train, ferry or bus anonymously on the card would at last be able to buy unregistered smart cards.

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday they will be at: Bondi Junction, Central, Chatswood, Hurstville, Kings Cross, Lidcombe, Parramatta, Strathfield and Town Hall stations.

A Transport for NSW spokesman said nine of the stations would have pop-up kiosks available on Monday to Friday.

"Soon Opal will be available for customers at 1000 retail stores across Sydney and the regions. This is considered the most effective approach to introducing the Opal card for customers across Sydney and the regions," the spokesman said.

Despite the government's announcement, there was no kiosk at Wynyard station on Monday morning because contract staff there had not yet been trained to use one.

Holders of existing Opal cards will not be able to add credit to them at the kiosks. And people wanting to buy cards from the kiosks will not be able to use cash, meaning their credit or debit card transaction could be linked to the card.

In Victoria, anonymous myki cards can be purchased from a number of outlets, including newsagencies and 7Eleven stores. Commuters have the option to register the cards to their name online.

The news that unregistered Opal cards are now available is likely to be welcomed by civil libertarians, who had been advocating for their introduction following Fairfax's revelation that no warrants are required by law enforcement to access commuters' travel histories.

Despite this, NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge said he wanted commuters to be given the option to opt out of having their travel data given to law enforcement without a warrant.

Mr Shoebridge added that the unregistered cards still weren't anonymous in his view as people's identities could be linked to them by law enforcement via CCTV or Eftpos transactions, as stated in the Opal privacy policy.

Law enforcement agencies that can access Opal records without a warrant include state, territory and federal police, the NSW Crime Commission, the Australian Crime Commission, the Department of Corrective Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Office of the Sheriff of NSW, as well as state, territory and federal directors of public prosecutions.

Australian investigative agencies are also able to access the records, including the Ombudsman's Office, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Police Integrity Commission, the Health Care Complaints Commission and the office of Legal Services Commissioner.